سياوش اردلان
Summary of Today's BroadcastRFE/RL Persian ServiceThursday, October 24, 2002 - US offers reward to Russia - US sells rice to Iran - Iran-Algeria defense pact - Government defends jailed pollster - Judiciary defends Zarafshan's convictions - Support for Yusefi-Eshkevari - Anniversary of Mikonos Killings - Five athletes defect in Germany - RSF ranks Iran low on press freedoms - Iran's gasoline imports rises to $1 billion US Reward to Russia for Ending Nuclear Cooperation with Iran * The US State Department said that if Moscow ends its $800 million nuclear cooperation with Iran, it stands to gain $10 billion for the Russia's nuclear industry from spent nuclear fuel storage business that US can steer to it. (Siavash Ardalan) US Sells Rice to Iran * After seven years of moratorium, the US sold $1.3 million rice to Iran, according to Riceland Foods, an Arkansas cooperative that has a one-year permit from US government to sell to Iran. (Golnaz Esfandiari) Iran, Algeria Sign Defense Pact * In a defense cooperation pact signed by Iran's defense minister Shamkhani and Algeria's joint chief of staff General Mohammad Al-Amari in Tehran, the two countries agreed to exchange security information. (Farideh Rahbar, Cairo) Government Defends Jailed Pollster * In yet another clash over national security between the executive branch and the judiciary, cabinet spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh said the intelligence ministry finds no basis for the judiciary's charges of espionage against Behruz Geranpayeh, head of the pad-locked National Institute for Public Opinion Research, which, along with two other state polling agencies, was responsible for the opinion survey that showed more than 75 percent of Iranians favor relations with the US. (Mehdi Khalaji) Judiciary Defends Zarafshan's Trial and Conviction * In an open letter, the Judiciary said the methods it used for arresting, indicting and convicting jailed lawyer Nasser Zarafshan on charges of revealing government secrets met legal standards. Supporters of Nasser Zarafshan say he went to jail for representing the families of the victims of the serial murders of dissidents by intelligence ministry officials. (Siavash Ardalan) 130 Political Activists Protest Jail Sentence for Yusefi-Ashkevari * More than 130 political and cultural activists signed a letter addressed to the heads of three government branches to protest the seven-year jail sentence given to cleric Hasan Yusefi-Eshkeveri for declaring women's Islamic cover optional and taking part in a conference in Berlin on reforms in Iran. Nationalist-religious activist Mohammad Maleki, Tehran University's first post-revolutionary president, tells RFE/RL that Iran's constitution bans jailing people for their political or religious beliefs. (Fereydoun Zarnegar) 10th Anniversary of the Berlin Assassinations of KDPI Leaders * Former France's first lady Danielle Mitterrand took part in the memorial held in Paris on the 10th anniversary of the assassination of Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran's secretary-general Dr. Sadeq Sharafkandi and two of his colleagues in Berlin. KDPI representative in Europe Khosrow Abdollahi tells RFE/RL that the parliamentary bloc of France's Green Party helped KDPI to organize the ceremony. A German court found top regime officials, including the Supreme Leader, responsible for the killings. (Jean Khakzad, Paris) Five Rowing Team Members Defect to Germany * Head of Iran's rowing federation Naser Talebi confirmed yesterday an item that appeared last month in German newspapers that five athletes sent to take part in the mid-September international rowing championship defected to Germany. He said the five had each deposited a check of 200 million rials with the government to guarantee their return. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne) Reporters San Frontiers' First Guide to Press Freedom * In its first guide to press freedoms across the world, Paris-based Reporters sans Frontiers ranked Iran 122nd, near the bottom. (Golnaz Esfandiari) Plans to Cut Back on University Admissions * The higher education ministry announced a plan to reduce or keep flat admissions to graduate degree programs. The plan also calls for cutbacks in admissions to two-year engineering technician training programs. (Said Peyvandi, Paris) Iran's Gasoline Imports to Reach $1 Billion * Deputy oil minister in charge of domestic distribution of oil products Mohammad Aqai said Iran's gasoline imports are expected to reach $1 billion by March 2003, the end of the current fiscal year. The 10 percent annual rise in gasoline consumption is linked to domestic produced cars, which use three times more gasoline than more European or Japanese imports. (Fereydoun Khavand) ARTS AND IDEAS Daily Internet Report * The National Iranian-American Council's website, www.niacouncil.org, promotes participation in US civil society organizations and local, state and national elections among Iranian immigrants. Also, http://www.alwaystranse.com serves Iranian techno-music enthusiasts with the latest news and artists' discographies in Persian, as well as video and audio clips, and access to a newsgroup. (Behnam Nateghi, New York) Daily medical advice (Dr. Mansur Moslehi, Los Angeles) Daily Book Review * RFE/RL Tehran-based book critic reviews "Post-Modern Literature," translations of post-modern novels by Payam Yazdanju. Daily Science Report * A Cornell University study in Munich, Germany, shows that children living near airports have a greater tendency than others to develop memory and speech disorders. (Fatemeh Aman, Washington) Weekly soccer news and commentary (Mehrdad Masudi, London) Song: Sal-ha-ye Sakht (Hard Years) * RFE/RL's Frankfurt-based music critic plays "Sal-ha-ye Sakht," a pop song written by Behnam Bavandpur, performed by Germany-based opera singer Afsaneh Sadeqi. Shadi (Joy) * Los Angeles DJ Afshin Gorgin plays the latest Persian tunes. London Magazine * Events of two Persian literary clubs, Sokhan and Goftegu. (Shahran Tabari, London) WORLD * Chechen terrorists hold 700 hostages in a Moscow theater. (Mani Kasravi, Moscow) * Maryland police arrests two suspected of being the mysterious snipers that killed 10 and wounded 3 in the past three weeks. (Homayoun Majd, Washington) * Hamburg holds the second day of the trial of Monir Al-Motesadeq for planning and backing the September 11 terrorists attacks against New York and Washington. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne) * Russia opposes the US proposed UN Security Council resolution on Iraq. (Homayoun Majd, Washington) * US offers a new peace plan for the Middle East. (Jamshid Chalangi, Cairo) * Britain's interior ministry has proposed a bill to limit political asylum applicants from 10 countries, including Afghanistan and Eastern European republics. (Shahran Tabari, London) * US-China summit meeting in Texas. (Homayoun Majd, Washington)
آمريكا به روسيه پيشنهاد كرد از 800 ميليون دلار درآمد ناشي از همكاري هاي هسته اي با جمهوري اسلامي دست بردارد تا 10 ميليارد دلار درآمد را نصيب خود كند. وزارت امورخارجه آمريكا شامگاه گذشته در بيانيه اي اعلام كرد كه مسكو در صورت دست برداشتن از همكاري هاي اتمي با جمهوري اسلامي، اجازه خواهد يافت تفاله سوخت مواد راديوآكتيو مصرف شده در گوشه و كنار جهان را در انبارهاي خود ذخيره كند كه بنا به گفته تحليلگران، سود سرشاري نصيب روسيه خواهد كرد.
Summary of Today's BroadcastRFE/RL Persian ServiceThursday, October 24, 2002 - US offers reward to Russia - US sells rice to Iran - Iran-Algeria defense pact - Government defends jailed pollster - Judiciary defends Zarafshan's convictions - Support for Yusefi-Eshkevari - Anniversary of Mikonos Killings - Five athletes defect in Germany - RSF ranks Iran low on press freedoms - Iran's gasoline imports rises to $1 billion US Reward to Russia for Ending Nuclear Cooperation with Iran * The US State Department said that if Moscow ends its $800 million nuclear cooperation with Iran, it stands to gain $10 billion for the Russia's nuclear industry from spent nuclear fuel storage business that US can steer to it. (Siavash Ardalan) US Sells Rice to Iran * After seven years of moratorium, the US sold $1.3 million rice to Iran, according to Riceland Foods, an Arkansas cooperative that has a one-year permit from US government to sell to Iran. (Golnaz Esfandiari) Iran, Algeria Sign Defense Pact * In a defense cooperation pact signed by Iran's defense minister Shamkhani and Algeria's joint chief of staff General Mohammad Al-Amari in Tehran, the two countries agreed to exchange security information. (Farideh Rahbar, Cairo) Government Defends Jailed Pollster * In yet another clash over national security between the executive branch and the judiciary, cabinet spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh said the intelligence ministry finds no basis for the judiciary's charges of espionage against Behruz Geranpayeh, head of the pad-locked National Institute for Public Opinion Research, which, along with two other state polling agencies, was responsible for the opinion survey that showed more than 75 percent of Iranians favor relations with the US. (Mehdi Khalaji) Judiciary Defends Zarafshan's Trial and Conviction * In an open letter, the Judiciary said the methods it used for arresting, indicting and convicting jailed lawyer Nasser Zarafshan on charges of revealing government secrets met legal standards. Supporters of Nasser Zarafshan say he went to jail for representing the families of the victims of the serial murders of dissidents by intelligence ministry officials. (Siavash Ardalan) 130 Political Activists Protest Jail Sentence for Yusefi-Ashkevari * More than 130 political and cultural activists signed a letter addressed to the heads of three government branches to protest the seven-year jail sentence given to cleric Hasan Yusefi-Eshkeveri for declaring women's Islamic cover optional and taking part in a conference in Berlin on reforms in Iran. Nationalist-religious activist Mohammad Maleki, Tehran University's first post-revolutionary president, tells RFE/RL that Iran's constitution bans jailing people for their political or religious beliefs. (Fereydoun Zarnegar) 10th Anniversary of the Berlin Assassinations of KDPI Leaders * Former France's first lady Danielle Mitterrand took part in the memorial held in Paris on the 10th anniversary of the assassination of Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran's secretary-general Dr. Sadeq Sharafkandi and two of his colleagues in Berlin. KDPI representative in Europe Khosrow Abdollahi tells RFE/RL that the parliamentary bloc of France's Green Party helped KDPI to organize the ceremony. A German court found top regime officials, including the Supreme Leader, responsible for the killings. (Jean Khakzad, Paris) Five Rowing Team Members Defect to Germany * Head of Iran's rowing federation Naser Talebi confirmed yesterday an item that appeared last month in German newspapers that five athletes sent to take part in the mid-September international rowing championship defected to Germany. He said the five had each deposited a check of 200 million rials with the government to guarantee their return. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne) Reporters San Frontiers' First Guide to Press Freedom * In its first guide to press freedoms across the world, Paris-based Reporters sans Frontiers ranked Iran 122nd, near the bottom. (Golnaz Esfandiari) Plans to Cut Back on University Admissions * The higher education ministry announced a plan to reduce or keep flat admissions to graduate degree programs. The plan also calls for cutbacks in admissions to two-year engineering technician training programs. (Said Peyvandi, Paris) Iran's Gasoline Imports to Reach $1 Billion * Deputy oil minister in charge of domestic distribution of oil products Mohammad Aqai said Iran's gasoline imports are expected to reach $1 billion by March 2003, the end of the current fiscal year. The 10 percent annual rise in gasoline consumption is linked to domestic produced cars, which use three times more gasoline than more European or Japanese imports. (Fereydoun Khavand) ARTS AND IDEAS Daily Internet Report * The National Iranian-American Council's website, www.niacouncil.org, promotes participation in US civil society organizations and local, state and national elections among Iranian immigrants. Also, http://www.alwaystranse.com serves Iranian techno-music enthusiasts with the latest news and artists' discographies in Persian, as well as video and audio clips, and access to a newsgroup. (Behnam Nateghi, New York) Daily medical advice (Dr. Mansur Moslehi, Los Angeles) Daily Book Review * RFE/RL Tehran-based book critic reviews "Post-Modern Literature," translations of post-modern novels by Payam Yazdanju. Daily Science Report * A Cornell University study in Munich, Germany, shows that children living near airports have a greater tendency than others to develop memory and speech disorders. (Fatemeh Aman, Washington) Weekly soccer news and commentary (Mehrdad Masudi, London) Song: Sal-ha-ye Sakht (Hard Years) * RFE/RL's Frankfurt-based music critic plays "Sal-ha-ye Sakht," a pop song written by Behnam Bavandpur, performed by Germany-based opera singer Afsaneh Sadeqi. Shadi (Joy) * Los Angeles DJ Afshin Gorgin plays the latest Persian tunes. London Magazine * Events of two Persian literary clubs, Sokhan and Goftegu. (Shahran Tabari, London) WORLD * Chechen terrorists hold 700 hostages in a Moscow theater. (Mani Kasravi, Moscow) * Maryland police arrests two suspected of being the mysterious snipers that killed 10 and wounded 3 in the past three weeks. (Homayoun Majd, Washington) * Hamburg holds the second day of the trial of Monir Al-Motesadeq for planning and backing the September 11 terrorists attacks against New York and Washington. (Shahram Mirian, Cologne) * Russia opposes the US proposed UN Security Council resolution on Iraq. (Homayoun Majd, Washington) * US offers a new peace plan for the Middle East. (Jamshid Chalangi, Cairo) * Britain's interior ministry has proposed a bill to limit political asylum applicants from 10 countries, including Afghanistan and Eastern European republics. (Shahran Tabari, London) * US-China summit meeting in Texas. (Homayoun Majd, Washington)
آمريكا به روسيه پيشنهاد كرد از 800 ميليون دلار درآمد ناشي از همكاري هاي هسته اي با جمهوري اسلامي دست بردارد تا 10 ميليارد دلار درآمد را نصيب خود كند. وزارت امورخارجه آمريكا شامگاه گذشته در بيانيه اي اعلام كرد كه مسكو در صورت دست برداشتن از همكاري هاي اتمي با جمهوري اسلامي، اجازه خواهد يافت تفاله سوخت مواد راديوآكتيو مصرف شده در گوشه و كنار جهان را در انبارهاي خود ذخيره كند كه بنا به گفته تحليلگران، سود سرشاري نصيب روسيه خواهد كرد.
